"What story?" Lucy asked as her, zara and jackson just entered the department getting ready for the shift.

"Heyy! Zara, Jackson and Lucy this is-" Nolan begins his introduction not knowing they were friends already.

"Henry!"

"What's up, bro?"

"Hey! Nice to see you."

Everyone hugged the guest and Nolan looked flabbergasted. "You guys know my son?" he asks.

"Yeah, on, uh. social media." Jackson answers. "Yeah, i-i followed them after you guys started hanging out together at the academy. They followed me back." Henry explains the story and johns jaw hangs low.

"You know what? That photo you posted earlier from the plane was horrifying." Lucy starts.

"Dude, i literally almost puked." Jackson announces and Zara grimaces.

"Thanks for that." Brown huffs as she remembers Jackson almost puking onto her when seeing the picture.

"okay the guy in the next aisle over straight up cleaned his dentures on the tray table."

"Gross." lucy mutters.

"It was bad." Henry finishes.

"Wait, how come you didn't tell me you were friends with my son on the Insta thing?" John asks.

"Well, it didn't seem like a big deal." Lucy answers.

"Yeah. It's 2019, dad. Get with the times."

Jackson chuckled before speaking up. "Yeah. Dad."

Everyone laughed, even though it wasn't funny.

"That was a good one."

"yeah."

<<<<>>>>

"Alright. Look alive, look alive. Officer Nolan, you ready?" The sergeant spoke, looking at the oldest rookie in the room.

"yes, sir."

"Good. Now, answer me this. What is your favourite part about the job? And don't say "to make a difference.""

"I wasn't going to. But it is." Nolan answers gulping at his own words. "Whats your least favourite?"

"Oh, thats easy. Paperwork."

"Imagine how i feel." Captain Andersen announced her presence in the room as she just entered in her uniform, instead of normal clothes.

Officers began murmuring but it quickly died down when she spoke up again. "Alright. Most of what a captain does is paperwork. Cause of that, i feel like i've lost touch with what being a cop is really about. People. It's not only the citizens that we serve and protect. It's every single one of you in this room. So, to remedy that, I've decided that Sergeant Grey and I are gonna ride patrol today."

"Together?" Tim asks.

"No. We're each gonna ride with a rookie, and their respective T.O.s will pair up." Andersen answers.

"Ma'am, i'd be honoured if you'd ride with me." Jackson says and Wade lets out a laugh.

"That is sweet, Officer West, but today im riding with Officer Brown." Zara looked up at the woman clearly shocked.

"Sergeant Grey, i'd be honoured if you rode with Officer West today." Nolan states making the four rookies chuckle.

"That's cute, Officer Nolan. But you know my heart belongs to you." Wade says, everyone in the room started laughing while John looked around, clearly defeated.

"Lucky me."

<<<<>>>>

"Lots of weight on your shoulders today, Boot." Tim says making Zara turn around as he walked behind her with Talia by his side.

"Why? What do you mean?" she asks, clearly confused.

"Riding with the captain is a huge responsibility. If anything happens to her, well... I don't even know how to finish that sentence." Talia responds, explaining what Tim meant.

"I do. Andersen gets a scratch, and you'll be working motor pool in Sylmar till you die of carbon monoxide poisoning."

Bishop chuckled at Bradfords words as  Browns jaw hung low.

<<<<>>>>

Zara was grabbing the gear, not only hers though. Tim had pretty much forced her to set up his and Talia's shop as well.

Usually she wouldn't but he was her T.O. and that was a clear command so instead of dumping her career she did as told.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey. What are you doing?" The captain asks as she sees the brunette taking more gear than needed.

"Oh, um, Officer Bradford told me to set up their shop, as well, so im just.." She responds not being able to hold the four bags and four shotguns.

Andersen shook her head before yelling. "Bradford, Bishop!"

She then motioned Zara to wait as the two veteran cops approached. "Yes, Captain?" Talia asked even though she knew what this was about.

"Officer Brown is my boot today. Is that perfectly clear?" Andersen announces and the two cops sigh. "Yes ma'am." Tim responds.

"Get your gear." she ordered and with a annoyed expression the two cops did as told.

They walked over to Zara who still held their stuff, taking it from her before walking away.

<<<<>>>>

Zara and Zoe got out of the shop right outside of a beautiful mansion. Inside they heard arguing in farsi, the two then approached the door.

"Hello? Police!"

The arguing from the inside continued, the two female cops shared a glance putting their hands on the gun and stepping inside.

A vase shattered as the man threw it into the ground, the woman shouted at him angrily as they argued.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!" The captain calls out catching the attention of the two arguing people.

As Zara didn't understand the language and the situation she pulled out her radio. "I'll call for an interpreter."

Then Zoe began talking on farsi.

After a few moments of the two who used to be a couple screaming around of what was going on the woman finally began speaking english.

"Yes. Our marriage is over. I made a mistake of telling him he could come by and get a few things. Then he start destroying the whole house!" she explains and the man starts motioning around with his hands.

"Nothing we shared matters to her anymore. I love you, Mehrnaz. Why are you throwing us away?" he argued back.

"I cannot keep doing this with you, Dariush." after that everything went unknown again when mehrnaz began speaking farsi again.

"Sir, clearly, you're in a lot of pain, but what you need to do is get a lawyer, see a judge, and they will help you to divide your property." Zara calmly says and the man chuckles before turning towards her.

"Lawyers? Judges? Strangers! My wife is leaving me. My life is over." he states and Zara sighs not knowing what else to say to cool the man down.

"Ma'am, do you want to press charges?" Zoe asks the woman in front of her. "No. I just want him out." she responds and the captain nods before speaking to the rookie.

"Officer Brown, can you escort Mr. Ghorbani outside, please?"

She nods.

"Come on." she motions for the man to follow her to the door, reluctantly he does. She wrapped her hand around his arm to stop him from doing something unexpected but that didn't stop him.

He ripped himself away from her and then made a run towards the staircase. "Hey!" she yelled after him as she ran behind him.

"Officer Brown, there's a gun upstairs!" Zoe calls out before also running up the stairs.

A door shut and the lock clicked as the man locked the door making it unable for the female officers to get in.

"What do we do?" Zara inquires.

"Straddle the door. Talk him out of there. Try not to get shot."

She nodded and the two moved over to the door, now standing in front of it.

Zoe knocked on the door before speaking up, her gun in her hands. "Mr. Ghorbani, i need you to come out now."

The door handle rattled as the captain tried to open the door but it didn't work. She then began speaking on farsi trying to get the man to come outside.

Zara's entire body flinched when they heard a gunshot from inside the room, then a thud when his lifeless body fell onto the ground.

The captain kicked the door in, gun held high as she walked inside. They began clearing the room, when they walked around the corner they saw blood splattered across the wall and his dead body leaning against it with the weapon in his hand.

<<<<>>>>

Zara led the coroner upstairs, telling him where the dead man was. "All units, be advised, we're Code 4 here. Situations under control." she spoke into the radio as she walked through the parlour of the house.

She saw Zoe comforting Mehrnaz on the couch.

Zara felt guilty, if she had held the man tighter maybe right now he would still be breathing.

She was ripped out of her thoughts when she heard sirens wailing close by. Brown walked over to the door and saw some police cars.

"Captain? Reinforcements just showed up." she yelled into the house, a few moments later the captain came outside now standing next to the rookie.

"Captain. Anything we can do to help?" Jackson asks as he approaches the duo. "Yeah. You can get your ass back out on the street and handle some calls." She answers nodding her head clearly pissed off.

"We heard there were shots fired." He responds trying to justify his actions. "Did you also hear when Officer Brown put out the all-clear? Did you think you were gonna pop by for a little moral support? Did you want to come inside, maybe check the fridge?"

"No, ma'am. I just figured-" he justifies or at least attempt to but gets cut off. "The woman inside just watched her husband take his own life. I don't think she's in the mood to host a party. What do you think?"

"Understood. We'll go back out on patrol. Sorry." he apologises before turning around and walking back to his shop.

"I think they were just trying to help." Zara explains, clearly jackson just wanted to earn points by saving the captain.

"We didn't need it." the veteran answers ready to go back inside of the house. "Yeah, i-i let the guy get upstairs." Zara interrupts.

The woman stopped in her tracks and turned towards the younger cop meeting her eyes. "Yes, you did. He's not dead because of that."

Zara gulped, nodding her head and the captain then went back inside the house, leaving the rookie alone with her thoughts.

<<<<>>>>

The duo for the day got out of the shop, approaching a house party with people arguing on the outside.

"Gentlemen. Gentlemen!! Hey, hey, hey. What seems to be the problem?" Zoe asks as she steps closer to the scene. "This is my spot." The man dressed in the blue shirt claims as he points at a parking spot.

"Screw that. He stole it from me." The other male says and Zara sighs. This will be a long call.

Javier argues back.

"Man, the hell i did. I got here first, and he cut me off."

"Okay. Okay. I-I don't understand. It's a parking spot. Just get another one." Zara announces clearly pissed off already by the entire situation.

"My daughter is having a party. I have the cake in the trunk."

"Alright. The game's about to start. I got the beer all ready. Screw your daughter."

The male in the white shirt pushed the blue shirted causing Zara to intervene and hold him back. "Hey, hey, hey!"

The rookie ducks down as she sees the free man about to hit the one she had a hold off.

The captain reacts to slow and gets punched.

Zara let go off the male and walked over to the other one. "Get on the ground. Hands behind your back."

She pinned him down and cuffed his wrists. "Stay." the captain tolls the man with the bun.

"I got him." Zara announces as she sees the bruise forming on the captains face.

Andersen took the man and made him roll around. "Roll. Left foot under right knee. Let's go." she helps him up before leading him away from the scene.

<<<<>>>>

They got out of the shop after returning back to the station. "I shouldn't have ducked." Zara speaks up breaking the silence, she didn't know what to think considering that Tim told her what would happen if something would happen to the captain.

Well, something did happen.

"Relax. It was an instinct. I should've been the one to duck. Guess im a little rusty."

The captain walked over to the small lockers where they placed their guns when they were in the station after getting back from patrol.

"Well, it's understandable. I mean, you're stuck in your office most of the day."

She put her gun into it and then took the captains aswell.

"Actually, um, i didn't always push a desk. You know, i was in Marine Corps —— MOS 5803. Military police. That's where i learned how to speak farsi." Zoe explained and Zara's eyes widened.

"Well, i didn't know you were in the Marines. I-I thought that you were just from another department back east somewhere."

"Did a year as Pentagon Police, Criminal Investigation Directorate. Then i moved back him- joined the LAPD. Moved up quickly because of my experience, but that means i didn't move through the ranks with these guys, so they don't see me as a cop, only as a boss."

Brown was stunned, that is one hell of a life story.

Hers pretty much was arguing with her family and a horrid school time.

But she was younger.

"You should tell people about that. You sure as gell wouldn't have cops flying in to rescue you." the rookie suggests as she steps over to take the criminal out of the vehicle.

"You don't tell people that you're a badass, Officer Brown. Just got to show 'em."

Zara might as well use that to her advantage now.

"Hey, not for nothing, lady, that shiner's pretty badass." the man in the blue shirt taunts.

"Shut your mouth."

<<<<>>>>

The three walked through the buzzer door ready to book their suspect. When everyone saw the black eye the captain had, they all stood still clearly in shock.

"Alright, alright. Show's over. Everybody get back to work." she declares loudly making everybody return to their own business.

"Thank you." the captain thanks as a coo takes the suspect from her to book him. Zoe's cellphone beeped and she took it out, making Zara glance at her. "Bad news?" the younger out of the two asked.

"Uh, no, I just got to get these stats to the Chief. You know, actually, um, do sou mind processing our friend till i get this done, and then we'll head back out?"

"Well, im fine if you need to stay here, ma'am. I've got plenty of paperwork to do, so..." Zara definitely didn't want to go back out, if something else would happen to the captain she might as well be the laugh of the entire station if she wasn't already.

"I appreciate that, but.. I've made a practice of finishing what i've started." with that she left.

Jackson then walked over to her the second Andersen was gone. He tapped her shoulder, getting her attention before asking her. "What happened?"

"I ducked." she plainly responded.

Zara then overheard arguing making her look back to see Lopez and some man who was dressed in a fancy suit, probably a lawyer.

"What's going on with Lopez and that guy?" She inquires turning her head to the side to face her male best friend.

"It's been a weird day." He responds and she nods agreeing. "Mm-hmm."

<<<<>>>>

The captain stood in front of a man holding a woman hostage.

Zara, Jackson and Angela along with some other cops stood there, their guns raised, fingers hovering about the trigger.

Then Zoe charged at the man, she caught him off guard and tackled him to the ground.

Angela and Zoe got the gun out of his hand, while the other cops secured the crying woman.

They turned him over as he was grunting due to the force being used on him.

Zara picked up the gun which had previously been in his hands. "Holy crap." she claims as she sees that there's no external safety.

"What?" Jackson asks looking up while cuffing the suspect along with Lopez.

"It's a Glock. There's no external safety. You charged a live weapon." she explains looking at the woman stunned by what she did.

"Told you Captain could take care of herself." Lopez states and Jackson rolls his eyes in annoyance of being called out loud for his mistake.

The door opens, as Tim appears.

"What the hell happened here?" he asks as he looks at the man on the ground and the cops surrounding him.

"Oh, my- did you get skunked?" she asks her T.O. as everyone covers their noses at the stench coming from the man.

He rolled his eyes before disappearing.

<<<<>>>>

Zara was in her normal clothes getting ready to leave and go home. Her phone dinged as she was right outside the captains office.

Bradford

You still here?

yeah, i am. Give me 10 minutes ill meet you outside.

She had to talk to him about the entire isabel ordeal because it had been eating her alive for the past days.

But first she had to speak to the captain.

She knocked on the door after she put her phone away catching the attention of the captain.

"Hey. Is this a bad time?" the rookie asks as she steps into the office.

"No. Come in."

Zara walked closer to the desk before speaking up. "I just wanted to say i really enjoyed riding patrol with you today. I learned a lot, and it wasn't just  about police work. Um, im really sorry if i let you down."

Before Zara could continue to ramble Zoe cut her off.

"Officer Brown, you know why i chose to ride with you today?"

"No, ma'am." she shakes her head.

"Because you impress me. Don't get me wrong. You've got a lot to learn. But im proud to have you under my command. And i'd ride with you any day."

Zara smiled like a kid who just got candy when she heard the captains words.

"Thank you." she nodded thankfully and Zoe smiled in return.

"See you tomorrow." she added before stepping out of the office, slightly scared of the conversation she would have to have with Tim now.

<<<<>>>>

On her way out to see Tim she walked past her father figures office seeing Dominique. She grinned before she knocked on the door, deciding to finally greet her friend.

She stepped in and when Dominique saw her she rushed over and hugged her tightly. "I thought you were gonna be here next week." Zara muttered and Grey's daughter laughed.

"You literally forget everything." she joked and when they pulled away Sergeant smiled at the two.

"How was the ride with the captain?" he asks and Zara blows out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"She got punched." she grimaced and Grey mirrored her look.

"That is not good." he responds and she nods knowing how bad it was. Zara checked her watch to see the time, she'd be late.

"I have to go now. You two enjoy your family time. Don't tell Luna you went out on patrol! she'll go crazy."

Wade laughed before waving Zara off, she grinned as she made her way out of the office.

<<<<>>>>

She stepped into the parking lot, right on time. Her bag slung over her shoulder as she fiddled with the straps.

In the dimmed lights she saw Bradford leaning against his car which was parked right next to hers. "Hey." she said as she approached him, standing opposite him.

"Hey." he responded and she sighed.

"There's something that's been bothering me for a while now." she begins and he nods, not knowing what this was about.

"I tried to wrap my head around the fact that you are or were married and all but it's not working. You still care for Isabel and im not blaming you for that but i just don't wanna be a rebound or something until you have her back."

The weight felt a little lighter on her shoulders now that she had finally gotten the courage to speak about it.

Now he was the one to sigh.

"Look, Zara. You could never be a rebound to me, and I'm sorry if I made you feel that way. My marriage with Isabel is over, and I have been navigating through some lingering emotions."

You could tell that she was relieved by his words.

She nodded, grateful for his honesty, and they stood in silence for a moment, the tension slowly dissipating.

"The reservation is at 9. I'll pick you up." he announced.

"If you still wanna go." he added immediately after to make sure that she knew that this was up to her.

"See you then."

<<<<>>>>

new chapter!

hope yall liked this🤍 next chapter is their first date so how do we feel about that? 😏

please comment and vote<3

ALSO THANK YOU SO SO MUCH FOR ALMOST 5K READS, IM SO THANKFUL AND HAPPY<33

-nicole

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